Dehooking or Untangling a Turtle

Though avoiding sea turtles is preferable, fishers inevitably will encounter some hooked or tangled turtles. With a few tools, quick action, and some helpful techniques, they can ensure that the turtle has its best chance at survival.

As soon as you see a hooked or entangled turtle, bring the boat to a stop (if you are not stopped already) while releasing tension on the mainline. Using constant pressure, pull the branchline or main line in gently to bring the turtle alongside the vessel. Never use a gaff or other sharp object to handle a turtle.

You must make a decision about whether to bring the turtle on board, which will be influenced by the size of the turtle, the freeboard of your vessel, available tools, and the conditions at sea.

Gear removal is easier if a turtle can be brought on board, but if for size or safety reasons it is not practical to bring the turtle on board, assess the placement of the hook to decide if it is possible or not to remove the gear (i.e., whether it is a lightly /deeply ingested hook) using the appropriate long-handled dehooking device. If it is lightly ingested, use a long-handled dehooking device to dehook the sea turtle.

Do not pull on the line of a deeply hooked turtle; this will only cause further injury. Often, help from a crew member is needed to maneuver the turtle and operate the dehooker. If it is not possible to dehook the turtle, use long-handled line cutters to cut the line as close as possible to the animal.